Chickens? Are you Crazy?

Ok, so I am a little embarrassed to admit that I have a current obsession with chickens. Many of you know that over the last 5 years or so I have become very environmentally minded. Not just from a "Save Mother Earth" standpoint, but also from a personal health perspective. One of the things that really concerns me is how much JUNK (aka antibiotics and steroids) is in our food.

On to chickens...

I have always said, "Someday, when I live on a little plot of land I will have me some chickens." Alright...I have never said it in such a red-neck way, but I thought it would sound funny. At any rate, I started questioning why I thought I had to live out of town to have chickens and started doing some research. Apparently, it is fairly common to have backyard chickens in the US. There are lots of people, in Omaha even, with backyard chickens.

Let the research commence...

If you know me, you know how I love me some research.

I think Scott is wondering if I am completely insane.

I have found a set of plans for a very cool chicken ark. It is movable, allows for the chickens to forage and eat bugs, has a coop up top, and is supposedly pretty easy to build. My friend Jordan offered to help the building impaired. :) I talked to my dad about saws the other day and he offered his miter saw, so that he could upgrade. My initial intention was and is to finish the quarter round that has been in my basement for about 5 years. HD's room needs quarter round, my kitchen needs a repair, and the living room needs some too. I think though having a miter saw will be really handy in making this coop happen.

I saw a listing for Black Copper Marans chicks on craigslist, and I think I might pursue a couple of those. My chicken wishlist includes a couple of Araucanas/Americanas (aka Easter Egg chickens) and maybe a Red Star.

I think that people are allowed 5 hens in the city, no roos for obvious reasons.

My goal...eggs. I would be willing to barter, trade, or sell my eggs to neighbors or others. With 5 hens...eventually I should have about 2 dozen eggs a week. I do not use eggs EVERY day so...plenty to share.

Sound off folks...what do you think.

Marans Hen

EGGS PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARLEY SOLTES

The eggs above are Marans eggs (the dark ones) and the other eggs pictured are Araucanas/Americanas.

Sick Day

I had to get H from school yesterday. Poor guy is congested, has a sore throat, a cough, and super stuffy nose. He was a little feverish yesterday when we got home and the rule at school is 24 hours fever free. We are home today. I actually woke this morning with a really sore throat and headache. I think the sore throat for me was just sleeping with my mouth open, but the headache persists and I have a little cough. I am going to fetch some Aleve in a minute with a refill of coffee.

H has been bugging me about wanting to learn to knit. I decided I would try to teach him and see how it went.

See what you think.



Don't mind the crazy hair (mine) it is a sick day, darn it.

Jackson 5

Everyday for my seniors I hold the door, greet them and play funk or disco, loudly, as they are entering the room.  I think it might be more for me than for them, it really gets me pumped up.  Freshmen can't seem to handle it.  They always complain about the music, why don't I play rap, why don't I play their music, blah blah blah.


Seniors...seem to love (most of them) funk and disco.  They MOVE!  Some kids do little desk dances, sometimes random passerby kids dance in the hall, loads of the passerbys comment on wanting to be in THAT class.  I love the atmosphere it creates.   Pandora has been really useful, as I have some disco and funk, but not an unlimited supply.  I think I might use my grant stipend to buy the subscription so that I do not have to listen to random advertisements, $36.00 per year seems really really reasonable!  At any rate, yesterday I was playing my Pandora funk channel and the Jackson 5 came on.   A song I don't recall ever hearing.  Some of the kids knew it because it is part of the show choir's montage this year.  It is Blame It On the Boogie.  It is such a catchy, upbeat, fun song.


It was written by Mick Jackson, no relation to the Jackson 5.  The lyrics from the chorus are so darn catchy...

"Don't blame it on sunshine
Don't blame it on moonlight
Don't blame it on good times
Blame it on the boogie" 

I wish I could post it here for everyone to hear.  This is a must have for everyone's ipod, or other music device.  

d

Debate

Monday afternoon I got the opportunity to see H and his class have a debate.  The debate was about the town of Rocksburg building a dam.  There were citizens for and against.  H was for the building of the dam, and his name was Need A. Job.  Each student read a statement they prepared about their character and why they were for or against the dam, then the debate began.  They held cards in the air with their names on it and the city council president Judge N Jury called on the students who asked questions, responded to each others statements, etcetera.  It was so cute and H did an AMAZING job.  I was so proud and it was awesome to see him doing something academic since I have only been to school for parties previously. 


I was thinking about how he is growing up so fast.  Wow...where did the years go.  


We shopped goodwill and got a navy wool blazer $4, a blue oxford .99, and a Tabasco tie .99. He was stylin'.

 

I think this last picture is hilarious because of the little nose wiper in the front.  LOL.  To me the picture is also adorable because of Mrs. Stevens look of pride.  She emailed me to tell me how proud she was of H.  Me Too!